WWE Smackdown Review – January 12, 2024
Cameron Grimes vs. Grayson Waller
Cameron Grimes blindsided by Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso.
Winner: No One (Match Never Got Started)
Nick Aldis and other officials run down to check on Grimes as A Town Down Under retreat up the ramp. Paul Heyma grabs a mic and says The Bloodline aren’t the bad guys. He says Aldis is the real bad guy for making Roman Reigns defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Title in a Fatal 4 Way match at the Royal Rumble as Aldis makes his way down to the ring.
Aldis grabs the mic from Heyman and says that this is not a conversation between 2 equals. He says the Fatal 4 Way match is a done deal and The Bloodline will not ruin yet another match. He then announces that Jimmy, Sikoa & Reigns will be in the main event of tonight’s show and they will be facing AJ Styles, Randy Orton & LA Knight. Heyman tells Aldis that they both know Reigns isn’t in Lincoln and while Aldis admits that Heyman is correct The Bloodline has until the main event to find a 3rd man unless they want it to be a 3 On 2 Handicap match.
After the break we head backstage and see Heyman assuring Sikoa & Jimmy that he’ll find them a tag team partner.
Tag Team Match
Latino World Order (Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro) vs. Angel & Humberto
Both teams begin brawling with one another before Joaquin Wilde clotheslines Humberto out of the ring leaving Cruz Del Del Toro & Angel in the ring & Del Toro hits a hurricanrana.
He follows it up with a dropkick that sends Angel out of the ring then sends an Humberto out to join him.
LWO then go flying over the top to level them and Del Toro gets Angel back inside the ring.
Humberto tags in and Del Toro catches him with an arm drag before Angel tags back in and assists Humberto in sending him crashing to the outside.
Humberto sits Del Toro on the ring apron and Angel delivers a knee to take him down as we go to a break.
After the break Humberto tags in and double teams on Del Toro with Angel then Angel tags back in and looks to level Del Toro with a back suplex but Del Toro escapes and tags in Wilde.
Wilde fires off right hands on Angel’s head then lands a DDT and goes for a pin but Humberto breaks the fall before Wilde dumps him out of the ring and looks to fly from the top rope.
Angel trips him and tags out to Humberto then Los Lotharios join Wilde on the ropes and send him crashing into the mat.
Humberto looks to follow it up with a moonsault but Wilde moves out of the way then connects with a spinning sit out powerbomb.
Angel tags back in and delivers a kick to Wilde’s jaw. He charges at him in the corner but Wilde escapes and Angel is sent crashing into the ring post shoulder first.
Del Toro hits Angel with a corkscrew on the outside as Carlito’s music hits but he doesn’t appear on the ramp.
He blindsides Escobar at the announce table and they brawl into the crowd then back in the ring Angel rolls up Wilde as he hangs onto the ropes for the win.
Winners: Angel & Humberto
We then head backstage and see Nick Aldis meet with Carmelo Hayes. Hayes looks to ask Aldis about the Royal Rumble but A Town Down Under interrupt him before he can. Hayes then gets into a verbal exchange with A Town Down Under leading Aldis to make a match between Hayes & Theory official.
After the break we see LWO run into Paul Heyman backstage. Heyman hands Carlito an apple as he proposes a partnership between Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa in the main event. Carlito says the only fight he wants is one against Santos Escobar then takes the apple from Heyman and leaves with the rest of LWO.
We then head over to a video recapping what happened in the Finals of the United States Title #1 Contenders Tournament last week as well as Kevin Owens & Logan Paul’s post match confrontation.
We then head over to a video from United States Champion Logan Paul & he explains that he’s been in contact with his lawyer. He says that he’ll make sure Owens won’t be wearing his cast in their United States Title match at the Royal Rumble.
After the break we see Butch & Tyler Bate meet for a coffee. Bate offers his help to Butch and says he knows Butch is loss but Butch says them tagging last week against Pretty Deadly was a one time deal. Bate says they can show the world what British Strong Style is all about then says Butch needs to look inward to remember who he was in Blackpool and ask himself what that name is going to be.
Bianca BelAir vs. Bayley
Match starts off with a lock up before Bianca BelAir rolls up Bayley several times before executing a mat return and cinching in a waist lock.
Bayley escapes with a back elbow but Belair levels her with a back body drop.
She stomps over her then hits a standing moonsault before Bayley connects with a right hand on BelAir but BelAir fires back with 3 bodyslams.
Bayley sends BelAir crashing into the middle rope face first then takes a second to talk with Damage CTRL.
BelAir takes advantage and sends her crashing into the corner then hits a crossbody to her on the outside over the top rope as we go to a break.
After the break Bayley has a submission locked in on BelAir before BelAir escapes with a series of elbows to Bayley’s midsection then hits her with a spinebuster.
She follows it up with a dropkick and a shoulder to her midsection then fires off right hands on her in the corner.
Bayley ties BelAir’s braid to the bottom rope and fires off right hands on her head then rocks her with a knee and looks to land a 2nd one.
BelAir trips her by using her braid then frees herself from the bottom rope and sends Bayely’s face bouncing off the ring apron a couple of times.
She uses the ring post as extra leverage to wear down her spine but Bayley sends BelAir crashing into the ring post.
BelAir gets Bayley up on her shoulders on the outside then sends her colliding with the ring post face first. She dumps her back in the ring then fires off shoulders on her midsection in the corner and whips her into the opposite one.
BelAir then delivers a vertical suplex and rains down right hands on Bayley in the corner before hitting a backbreaker.
Bayley whips BelAir into the corner using her braid and charges at her but BelAir sends her crashing into the mat and connects with a springboard moonsault.
She hits a right hand to her jaw then sets up for KOD before Bayley whips her into the corner then ascends to the top rope and hits an elbow drop.
Bayley delivers a back elbow to BelAir and rolls her up but the referee catches her feet on the ropes.
She sends BelAir crashing to the outside and follows her then rains down right hands and dumps her back in the ring. BelAir hits a spear and follows it up with KOD for the win.
Winner: Bianca BelAir
We then head over to a video from Kevin Owens & he responds to what Logan Paul had to say earlier tonight. Owens says his injured hand won’t keep him from being in the Royal Rumble and says they need to talk face 2 face about their upcoming United States Title match. He invites Paul to be a guest on The Kevin Owens Show next week and says he hopes to see him there.
After the break we see Bayley confront the rest of Damage CTRL about why they didn’t help her in the match. Dakota Kai explains that they didn’t want to get her disqualified then assures her that her plan to get Damage CTRL all the gold including winning the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble is still in place.
Bobby Lashley wastes no time and addresses Karrion Kross & Authors Of Pain. He says the 4 individuals are in a fight that they can’t win then says Kross & AOP can come out to the ring to settle their issues now.
Paul Ellering appears on the ramp and points up at the Titan Tron. A video from Kross & Scarlett begins playing putting Lashley & Street Profits on notice and formally introducing AOP and Ellering. Kross then reveals that himself, Scarlett, AOP & Ellering will now be known as The Final Testament.
We then see Pretty Deadly approach Paul Heyman backstage and offer to be Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso’s partner in the main event. Heyman then reminds them of The Bloodline’s opponent and the fact that they only need 1 partner and not 2 and Pretty Deadly excuses themselves from the conversation.
After the break Lashley & Street Profits run into Heyman. Heyman says he’s been friends with Lashley for a long time and proposes a partnership between him, Sikoa & Jimmy in the Main Event. Lashley says the only time he wants to be in the ring with The Bloodline is if it’s standing across from Roman Reigns.
Austin Theory vs. Carmelo Hayes
Match starts off with a lock up then they take turns locking one another in submission holds before Carmelo Hayes delivers a boot to Austin Theory’s head as he’s draped through the middle rope and follows it up with Fade Away then hits a DDT to Theory on the apron as we go to a break.
After the break Hayes brings Theory into the ring the hard way from the apron & connects with a back elbow and an Atomic Drop then fires off strikes and delivers a springboard clothesline.
Theory delivers a back elbow to Hayes but Hayes responds with a kick to his jaw.
Hayes ends up on the top rope and Theory drives him into the mat with a Spanish Fly from there and the referee calls off the match after both men appear to be injured.
Winner: No One (Referee Stoppage)
We then head backstage to Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa. Jimmy asks Heyman who their tag team partner will be, and Heyman says no one is worthy of standing by their side in the ring. He says auditions are over and he has full faith in Jimmy & Sikoa. Jimmy says while Heyman might not be worried, he is.
Back at ringside Randy Orton makes his way down to the ring but Jimmy & Sikoa blindside him on the ramp and Sikoa hits Samoan Spike. Officials then run down to check on Orton.
3 On 2 Handicap Match
Randy Orton, LA Knight & AJ Styles vs. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa)
AJ Styles begins arguing with LA Knight over which one of them will start the match.
Jimmy Uso blindsides them and keeps beating down Knight but Knight catches him with a swinging neckbreaker. Styles tags in and sends him crashing into opposite top turnbuckles face first.
Knight tags back in and fires off a few stomps before Styles becomes legal again and continues wearing down Jimmy.
Jimmy delivers a chop and runs the ropes but Styles hits him with a dropkick and sends him crashing to the outside. Sikoa gets inside the ring and Knight follows suit.
Knight & Styles double team and fire off chops then hits a double clothesline that sends him to the outside to join Jimmy as we go to a break.
After the break Sikoa hits a hip attack to Styles then Jimmy tags in and Styles levels him then looks to tag in Knight.
Sikoa captures Knight’s attention and he sends him crashing into the ring post on the outside.
Back in the ring Styles hits a Pele Kick to Jimmy and Knight calls for him to tag him in.
Styles is reluctant to do so and Jimmy sends him crashing to the outside from the apron before Jimmy & Styles then hit one another with crossbodies.
Sikoa calls to be tagged in but Randy Orton’s music hits and he marches down to the ring.
Styles tags him into the match and he delivers a pair of clotheslines to Jimmy before catching him with a scoop powerslam and a hanging DDT then follows it up with an RKO for the win.
Winners: Randy Orton, LA Knight & AJ Styles
After the match, Sikoa blindsides Orton as Styles hits Phenomenal Forearm to take him down and Knight follows it up with a BFT. Styles & Knight begin arguing as Sikoa makes his way up to his feet but Orton is waiting with an RKO for him. Orton then grabs the ring steps and Styles sends Jimmy crashing into them. Knight dumps Jimmy into the timekeeper’s area and helps Styles & Orton clear the announce table then they hit a triple powerbomb to Sikoa through the announce table and stand tall to close out this week’s Smackdown.
